Tourntrbe



UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFTCE.

BENJAMIN JOHNSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOURNURE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,124, dated November 23, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN JoHNsoN, of the city of Philadelphia, inthe State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Tournure forLadies Dresses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part ofthis specification, in which Figure 1, is a perspective view of it, ascompleted for application to the person; and Fig. 2, a like view of theframe of the same without its coveringlike letters in both figuresindicating the same parts My invention has for its object the producing,and more durably maintaining than heretofore, that graceful fullness ofcontour desired in ladies skirts around the backand hips, and consistsin the construction and arrangement of a series of curved, elasticstrips or springs of steel, fixed permanently, by their upper ends only,to a metallic band so as to cause them to project outwardly therefromand be held thereby around, over and clear of the subjacent parts of theun der petticoats and person, in such a manner that the whole of thesaid projecting parts of the springs, more especially of the back ones,shall be left entirely free to be moved, elastically and separately, invertical planes, radial to the center of the curve of said band, whenthe tournure is applied and secured around the persons waistthe saidsprings being also webbed or connected laterally, either by thin, light,textile fabric, orby strips of tape, so as to produce with the saidsprings so attached to said band, a foundation or projecting, elasticsupport of the form and extent required to produce the fullness ofcontour desired about the upper back-part and sides of ladiesdressskirts, which shall not lose its necessary elasticity, nor beliable to become, either displaced, broken, or permanently distorted asheretofore, by the external force or compression to which such articlesare usually subjected when worn in crowded assemblies or travelingvehicles; nor be subject to the ungraceful motions occasioned, in mostof the bishops and bustles worn, by the necessary alternate motions ofthe gluteal muscles in walking.

In the drawings A, represents the metallic waist-band; 13-15, B, thecurved, elastic strlps or springs of steel; C, C, the webbing which isconnected laterally to the said springs; and D, D, the tie-stringswhereby the tournure is to be secured around the waist when worn for thepurpose specified.

The band (A) consists of a strip of sheet brass, iron, or zinc, which iscut and bent so as to adapt it, to be fitted around the back and sidesof the waist.

The elastic strips or springs (B, B, B) consist of several thinly-rolledstrips of steel, bent into the curved forms required for the purpose,spring-tempered, and fixed by their upper ends only, to the band (A) bymeans of rivets g, g, or otherwise, and at about inches apart fromcenter to center, so as to project around outwardly therefrom in thecurved directions in which the dress-skirts are desired to be supportedor held out in fullness about the back and hipsthe said projectingportions of the springs (BB), especially of those about the back, beingformed and attached to the band (A) so as to project therefrom freelyand entirely out of contact with the subjacent parts of the underpetticoats, so as to be entirely free to be moved, elastically, invertical planes radial. to the center of the curve of the said band (A),toward and from the under garments and person of the wearer of thetournure, when the said springs are subjected to, or released from anysufficient external force. The general form, arrangement, and mode ofcombination of the springs (B, B, 13",) with the band (A), aresubstantially shown in Fig. 2.

The webbing (G, C) I usually make of two layers (an upper and an underone) of thin, glazed muslin, or other similar, light, textile fabric,and fit it over the upper and under sides of the series of springs (B,B, B,) by sewing the two layers together at each edge, e, e, as well asaround the ends 7, f, of the said springs, so that the said webbing (C,C) shall connect with the springs laterally, and thus produce with them,an elastic projection or foundation not liable to break, nor to becomedisplaced or permanently distorted by external force or compression andwhich shall hold out the upper parts of the dress-skirts in the desiredfullness, around the back and hips, before described. The combination ofthis webbing with the springs and band, is distinctly shown in Fig. 1;but it is manifest that if the springs (13, B, B) be covered separately(like ones fingers with a glove), 1nd several strips of tape be securedto the said coverings so as to extend from one spring to the other, anopen webbing will be produced which will answer the same purpose.

The band (A) has secured against its inner side and under edge (to makeit fit easy, or without chafing), one or more thicknesses of flannel orother like softmaterial, which, with the said band, is afterward coveredsmoothly with glazed muslin, or other suitable material, and sewed tothe webbing or covering of the said springs.

The tie-strings (D, 1),) may consist of tape, and are attached around orto the ends of the band (A), so as to extend loosely fortyingsubstantially as shown in Fig. 1.

I usually make the band (A) about from to one inch in width, and of sucha length as will bring its ends around within two or three inches ofeach other in front of the person wearing the tournure; and stiff enoughto support the springs in the free, radial positions previouslydescribed. The springs for such a band, I usually make of number 2 1:sheet steel, cut, about from a half to seven-eighths of an inch wide attheir upper ends, and from a quarter to half an inch wide at their lowerends, and tapering regularly from one end to the otherthe widest springs(B-B) being used for the back part, because, as these require to have afuller or larger curve than either the front springs (BB), or those atthe hips, they have to be made somewhat larger, and, therefore, wider;the usual length, however, of the springs (B, B, B) for a common sizedperson, may be about from five to eight or ten inches, according totheir positions on the band and the fullness required-or of such lengthas may serve for the purposes described, without causing their extremelower ends to interfere with a free and easy sitting posture of thewearer.

The tournure just described is applied around the waist, from the backover the hips, and secured by tying the strings (D, 1),) together infront, in the usual mannerthe elastic foundation, consisting of thesprings and webbing before specified, projecting outwardly around fromthe band (A) in such a manner as to leave a clear and unobstructed spacearound between its under side and the subadj acent petticoats or undergarments of the wearer, as before described.

The dress-skirts which are to be held out.

thereby in the fullness of contour required, are now applied over thetournure and secured around the waist in the usual manner when the saidprojecting elastic foundation will operate as described in producing andmore durably maintaining the fullness of contour desired. The principaldefect peculiar to all the devices heretofore used, which depend uponhoops or sections of hoops for producing and maintaining the specifiedfullness of contour in ladies dresses, whether the said devices are madeadjustable by cords or otherwise is, that when pressed in on one sidethey must be permitted either to bulge out ridiculously on the other, orbecome permanently distorted, if not broken, as often happens in crowdedassemblies and traveling vehicles. Another objection peculiar to allthose bustles, bishops &c., heretofore used, which require to rest uponthe subadjacent parts of the under petticoats and person for theirsupport is, that the alternate motions of the gluteal muscles inwalking, produce an alternate rising and falling of those parts of thebustle or bishop which rest upon them, and consequently communicate thesame ri diculous motion to those parts of the dress which rest thereon.These are objections to which my tournure is not liable, because, whileit possesses all the lightness and coolness necessary in sucharticles-especially in hot weatherthe whole projecting parts of thesprings (B-B) being left perfectly free and unobstructed beneath, or soas to be capable of being moved elastically without obstruction orhindrance of any kind, in vertical planes radial to the center of thecurve of the band (A) as before described, it is manifest that thefoundation produced thereby in connection with the webbing, will admit,in consequence of such elasticity and freeness from obstruction, ofbeing readily pressed in at any one part without causing an outwardbulging at any other part of it whatever; and that the whole foundation,as well as any part of it, will admit of being readily compressed intoclose contact against the under garments or person of the wearer, asoccasion may require, without in the least impairing the elasticity andefficiency which it possesses, and which is indispensable in a tournure:and it is also manifest, that as the said foundation or support for thedress is held, by the band (A), entirely out of contact or free from theunder petticoats about the back and hips of the wearer, the motions ofthe gluteal muscles cannot produce the objectionable rising and fallingmove ments before referred to, in those parts of the skirts which areabove them. My tournure is therefore much more durable and effective forthe purpose required, and also more agreeable to the wearer, than eitherof the other devices referred to.

I am aware that a metallic band, flared out at its lower edge, has beenadapted to the waist and suspended from the shoulders simply for thepurpose of hanging all the skirts of the undergarments upon it so thattheir weight shall be transferred from the hips to the shoulders; andthat metallic ribs, or fibrous webbing, have been used before, for thepurpose of connecting segmental and other springs so as to cause them torest, in vertical planes upon the undergarments and personas elasticsupports for the dress skirts,-as in G. V. and E. A. Pierces bishop; andalso that a textile Webbing has been used before, for the purpose ofconnecting together laterally, conically formed, elastic frames orspiral springs, so as to cause them to rest, side by side,longitudinally against the under petticoats and person, as in C. I.Houghtens bustleztherefore I do not claim springs or elastic stripsresting either directly or indirectly upon the undergarments and personfor supporting the skirts of the dress; neither do 1 claim a metallicwaist-band, nor connecting springs together laterally by means of aWebbing of any kind, in the construction of a tournure for ladiesdresses; but

What I claim as my invention and to secure by Letters Patent is Acurved, elastic projection or support, consisting of the springs (B, B,B) and Webbing (C, C) or their equivalents, when the said springs areconstructed, arranged and fixed to a Waist band (A) so as to be held outthereby free from the undergarments and person as described, that theymay operate, in connect-ion with the Webbing, substantially in themanner described, and for the purposes specified.

BENJAMIN JOHNSON.

desire Witnesses:

JAs. R. OLDDEN, GEO. HUNTER.

